This section of my web site is my attempt to encourage women in the USA to travel, either just a few miles from home or around the world. Too many women in the USA talk themselves out of traveling - I want to be the counter-voice to that inner voice that says, "You can't! You shouldn't!"
These pages probably aren't really for experienced female travelers (though they are welcomed to read!) - I'm not sure I could tell women that regularly go on vacations anything they don't already know. These pages are, instead, specifically for women in the USA who haven't traveled at all, except maybe to Disneyland or Vegas or a beach, or haven't traveled much, but want to, including outside the USA. If you've wanted to travel, but have been afraid to - because you think you don't have the money, or you are afraid to do it alone, or you are afraid you will somehow screw it up, or you think there is some perfect way to do it and you can't do it that perfect way, or you're just afraid, period, these pages are for you. I hope they are also helpful for experienced female travelers going somewhere they've never been, but I have.
I believe the world would be at least a slightly better place if more American women traveled, both within the USA and internationally, both because American women are so much more than what is portrayed on American TV shows (which are seen all over the world) and because it would empower women with knowledge that would make the USA a better place. But I think this about women from everywhere as well: my day is better when I meet a group of women from Africa on the Portland Max train, or a single woman traveler in Egypt from Ecuador, or a group of Italian women anywhere.
Except for becoming a dog owner (at age 23 -- a very long time ago), the best thing I ever did in my life was to start traveling, on my own or with friends. It's kept me sane. It's been what's made life worth living. It lead me to marry a wonderful person. And I am so grateful for this privilege of being able to travel easily.
I didn't grow up owning a dog, and I didn't grow up traveling. In our 18 years together when I was growing up, my family took just three vacations together. I remember all three of those trips vividly, and always wanted to travel much more.
Growing up, and as a young adult, I noticed that people whom I liked and admired might live in the same place all their lives, but also made room in their lives for travel. Their travel might be a long weekend somewhere just an hour's drive away. It might be to another country. It might be every holiday weekend. It might be just once a year. It was something that was integrated into their lives, something normal, as normal as, say, buying a car. Other people spend money on home entertainment systems or cars or landscaping or season tickets to whatever. And some people travel.
Also, most of the people I've admired were also pet owners. But that's another essay...
Some of these people were rough-it types, back-packing through exotic locations and camping or staying at youth hostels; others were car campers and went only where their four wheels could take them; some others loved Club Med or, at least, a hotel. Some were adrenaline freaks; some just wanted to relax and be comfortable while seeing new things.
The point is that these people whom I admired were committed to travel, and they seemed very much the better for it. All seemed to enjoy the non-traveling part of their lives more than the people I knew whose vacations consisted only of Orlando or Las Vegas. They didn't seem to get as overwhelmed at life as other people I know, they didn't let television dictate their political views or understanding of the world, and they were more optimistic and outgoing than others. They also didn't mind sometimes feeling stupid or scared, two feelings that most Americans avoid like the plague.
When I started traveling regularly, I seemed to be able to handle stress better in my everyday life than before, to enjoy my downtime more, to be able to relax more easily than before, to be able to shake a little depression more easily, and to be able to think about problems more clearly and dispassionately. I became much more aware of my surroundings everywhere, not just while traveling; it sharpened my observation abilities. Traveling helped me to take delight in the smaller things of life, like a great meal or a small act of kindness by a stranger. It also helped me to be willing to take chances, and to not get hysterical over my own perceived failings (though I still get pretty upset about those, but that's another story). It made me kinder to strangers. It made me more aware of what people were doing around me, wherever I was -- in my home town or abroad.
I also have been so happy to represent my home state of Kentucky while traveling. I've gotten used to hearing "You are the first person I've ever met from Kentucky" in the USA and abroad, and I'd like to think I've made a good impression for the Bluegrass state. I'd also like to think that, abroad, I've countered a lot of negative images people have of American women because of the movies and TV -- and I think that if more American women traveled, those negative images could be further countered.
It's important to note that Americans are taking less and less vacation and, therefore, not only is stress, depression and suicide skyrocketing in the USA, but also, there is an expectation by many companies that employees shouldn't take vacation. NONSENSE. Take your vacation time. Take every second of it. All Americans should take all the vacation time due to them, EVERY year. If a company is going to demote you for taking the vacation time that is rightfully due you, you do NOT want to work for that company! In fact, Americans should push for the same amount of vacation time as people get everywhere else in the world: at least six weeks a year. That's the same amount of time that George W. got, and far, far less than what Donald Trump is taking.
This section of my web site is my attempt to encourage women in the USA to travel, either around where they live or around the world. And note that I started it LONG the book (or the movie) Eat, Pray, Love.
These pages aren't really for very experienced female travelers (though they are welcomed to read!). These pages are, instead, specifically for women in the USA who haven't traveled at all, except maybe to Disneyland or Vegas, or haven't traveled much, but want to. I believe the world would be at least a slightly better place if more American women traveled, both within the USA and internationally, both because American women are so much more than what is portrayed on American TV shows (which are seen all over the world) and because it would empower women with knowledge that would make the USA a better place.
You don't need a huge budget. You don't need to be a spiritual person. You just need to be able to listen, explore, see and think -- and, ultimately, to enjoy.
"I would love to travel more, like you do."I hear it so often, from so many women in the USA
"I would love to travel more, like you do."
"I would love to travel more, like you do."
So why don't you? Unless there are cultural or political reasons, you really have no excuse, including money, time, work commitments, perceived difficulty, fear that you will do something stupid, etc.
To me, for women from the USA who think they cannot travel, I think it's actually more about priorities and choice. If your priority is to travel, you will travel. If your priority is to avoid uncomfortable situations at the cost of seeing beautiful and fascinating things, you will sit at home most of the time and watch TV.
Don't think "I wish I had the money/time to travel;" think "How do I get the money/time to travel?"
And enough with the stupid bucket lists. Those are things-you-will-never-do lists. Don't ever say "I would love to go there someday" without following that with "I'll start planning immediately on how I will do that..."
Is it difficult to travel? It can be. You have to plan, you have to prepare, you have to coordinate, you have to budget money and time, you have to pay for mistakes (getting on the wrong train, for instance) and you have to be flexible - for when airlines go on strike or a storm rolls in at the beach. And you will probably have to leave something undone back at home, like your laundry. Don't worry: that work isn't going anywhere. It will be there when you get back.
When you travel, there are moments you will feel out-of-place, stupid, and scared. But the payoffs are immeasurable. Phenomenal. That payoff may come from meeting someone in a train station and having a terrific conversation that leads you to a place not in your guidebook, or a recommendation of a book that you later fall in love with. That payoff may be standing alone in an ancient structure that other tourists don't bother with. It may be discovering an oasis or funky restaurant just 50 miles from where you live. It may mean sitting in a cafe and hearing a cacophony of strange, wonderful languages and sounds around you.
Are there dangers in traveling? Sure. You might get robbed while traveling. But you will probably get robbed in your home town -- your apartment will get broken into, your pocket will get picked, you will leave your bag somewhere and never get it back, your car will get broken into... bad things happen anywhere and everywhere . Not traveling won't mean you avoid any of that.
Why do I love to travel? Because I learn to appreciate so much more about the world, my own country, and myself. Because I find out just where my strengths lie -- and where they don't. Because it's the only thing that will restore my frequently lost hope in humanity. Because it makes the moments of not traveling much more special. Because it's much more fun than NOT traveling. Am I ever scared? Sure! But that's part of life. You get scared. And you do your best to get through it.
Your trip can be simple and comfortable, like taking a long weekend and driving to somewhere beautiful, staying in a little bed and breakfast or cabin, and exploring a new place just across the state line. It can be a little more ambitious, like going to Ireland, renting a car, buying a guidebook, and going from bed and breakfast to bed and breakfast and stopping at whatever looks interesting along the way. It can be even more ambitious, like traveling to a European country where you don't speak the language. It can be REALLY ambitious, like going to a developing country for a long trip (I don't recommend this until you have some traveling experience in the aforementioned under your belt, and you should DEFINITELY not do it entirely on your own).
This section of my web site is my attempt to encourage many more women from the USA to travel, within their own country and abroad. Depressed? Travel. Lonely? Travel. Need a life change? Travel. Been dumped? Travel. Gained too much weight? Travel. Don't have a life outside of your job? Travel.
Travelin' cures what ails ya.
My biases
I'm very conscious that I'm a white woman and, therefore, I don't face challenges that black Americans face when traveling, whether in the USA or abroad, or any other race different from me - or what I face isn't nearly to the degree that a black American woman faces when traveling. I am reminded of this when I read an article like this one offering thoughts from three different hikers in the USA or this one about traveling abroad or various links from the Outdoor Afro Facebook page or talk to my many colleagues and friends from Africa - most especially the female friends. So I want to acknowledge my privilege - it's everywhere in my travel advice.
The other bias on my travel pages is obvious: I don't have kids and I don't have to provide care giving for anyone. And the financial and emotional and intellectual needs of children or someone you are providing or overseeing care for - a parent, an older sibling, etc. - can be a huge obstacle in traveling. If you are looking for inspiration for family travel - not just to Disney World, but for camping, hiking, visiting historic and cultural sites, even traveling to other countries, there are numerous web sites out there that could help you. Check out the Worldtripper's web site for an account of a family that went around the world for a year, starting in 2001. They are dear friends and have lots of great advice about how they did it, how they kept the kids' studies up-to-date, etc.
What about climate change
Climate change is real. The Earth cannot handle a great deal MORE air travel and many MORE cars. Even electric cars, because of their manufacturing process and relative low lifespan, aren't better than gasoline engines for the climate. I'm not giving up air travel, but I am doing lots of other things, both in how I live (we're a one-car family - I mostly take mass transit), how we travel once we are at a destination (we walk or take mass transit - we don't rent a car and don't take a taxi unless it's unsafe), what I eat (I seek out what's locally grown and made), and on and on. I also do not fly every year.
Also see: Lessons learned from travelers stranded because of COVID19.
Where did this artwork & domain name come from?
I am quite partial to canines, and I think the coyote is unique among all canines worldiwde, with qualities I greatly admire. Coyotes are unique to North America, my birthplace and a place I would like to share with the world. Coyotes are amazingly adaptable to ever-changing surroundings - efforts to control or exterminate the coyote and the massive garbage-production of modern humans have produced an animal that is even more alert, opportunistic and able to survive, even flourish. They are incredibly misunderstood animals, much smaller than most people think, and often blamed for destruction not of their making. When I do a road trip in the USA, seeing a coyote always sends a thrill through me.
Other artwork on my site is inspired by rock art I've seen all over the world. Whether you are in Ireland, Sweden, Macedonia, Egypt, California or so many other places in the world, you will see rock art created hundreds, even thousands, of years ago, meant to communicate something important from the artist to other humans - just like the original intent of the Internet. The petroglyph-style artwork I create and adapt to use on this site and in my presentations is inspired by this artwork that I've seen all over the world, that I think represents a thread that connects us all to our human families of the past. None of it is actually from an archeological site - just inspired by such. There are no representations of ACTUAL rock art imagery on my site, out of respect for the belief by some that the artwork is sacred and should not be reproduced.
Get started:
packing tips and health & safety considerations especially for women novice travelers.
things to consider regarding transportation and accommodations choices, and advice on preventing motion sickness.
my adventures in Europe, Africa, as well as road trips in the USA
links to resources to help women travelers
my page of helpful hints for camping with your dogs in the USA.
transire benefaciendo: "to travel along while doing good." Advice for those wanting to make their travel more than sight-seeing and shopping, whether in your own country or abroad.
advice for women who want to travel by motorcycle (it's my favorite way to travel!).
Quick Links
Some of my favorite photos from my travels. Very hard to pick favorites.
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The personal opinions expressed on this page are solely those of Ms. Cravens, unless otherwise noted.
